AoE vs all spells, how to use ?

[Grim]

I am struggling to find a spot for all the damaging and non damaging area of effect spells that can act on foes and allies alike.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Currently, the size of the area of effect spells I found usually are way too large, and usually cover the whole screen/fighting zone. I can barely cast them on a foe at fog of war limit without hitting my team. Is there a way to shrink the zone?

In this game, your party generally advances repeatedly over defeated foes, therefore any lasting spell you cast on the terrain impairs your advance. I know dispell can remove some of them, but I find AoE spells generally more of an hinderance than beneficial. The feet of my whole party remembers Camelia's stalagmites...

My party is comprised of melee fighters and ranged equally, with my main (cavalier) very focused on charge. Maybe with a full ranged team one can have more use of those spells ?

Thank you for your answers.

[revan1229]

Metamagic-Selective Spell. Makes your Webs, Fireballs, etc. party friendly (dependent on your casting modifier).

[Cyborg009]

Cast Resist Energy, Communal (Fire), then fireball anywhere you like. :)

[[TGC] MadGod]

The powers and detrimental effects of "all creature" targets is usually higher than those which selectively damage or affects enemies only.

Basically it is a trade-off. Use powerful AoE and be forced to use metamagic/items/whatever to exclude your party or use targeted spells that have more limited effects or use ranged touch which need an attack roll.

You touched the base problem, namely the area you have to fight in, especially insides. The game does not seem to allow you to place center points of areas in all "allowed" squares, so it is hard to use entanglement in many instances for example. It disallows spots that would surely be allowed on a table.

Things like entanglement, grease etc. are not often used in "urban/house" warfare, since the party cannot circumvent them. So if you know that you are in such a setting, choose different spells.

If you have chargers and heavy melee hitters and a bow character, maybe add a ray specialist for added damage/debuff, an alchemist or an enchanter that often has less problems. You have to deal with SR anyway.

Mind you, since I am running mostly 1MC, 3/2 mercs, 2/3 companions I rarely have the problem since I can pick and choose.

[DarthMyrten]

Use different spells for different encounters, some spells like Chain Lighting or Stormbolts don't damage your allies, for some you can use selective spells, sometimes you might want to move your party back when you cast things like Wail of Banshee (which also won't affect undead party members)

As for things like web etc... you can use dismiss spell cantrip, it's great

[AzureTheGamerKobold]

Selective Spell and i think its called Favored Metamagic Mythic feature, which lowers the level increase by 1 and since selective is already 1 you can then create selective spells all you want.

[DarthMyrten]

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

Selective Spell and i think its called Favored Metamagic Mythic feature, which lowers the level increase by 1 and since selective is already 1 you can then create selective spells all you want.

There are better mythic feats, also spells with metamagic have longer casting time so they are not really that usefull unless used for starting combat and things like selective sirocco.

[Dallar]

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

Selective Spell and i think its called Favored Metamagic Mythic feature, which lowers the level increase by 1 and since selective is already 1 you can then create selective spells all you want.

I don't think you can choose Selective when you pick the Favored Metamagic feat. Shame too, would be a really strong combo.

[revan1229]

Originally posted by DarthMyrten:

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

Selective Spell and i think its called Favored Metamagic Mythic feature, which lowers the level increase by 1 and since selective is already 1 you can then create selective spells all you want.

There are better mythic feats, also spells with metamagic have longer casting time so they are not really that usefull unless used for starting combat and things like selective sirocco.

Is this documented somewhere? My Selective Webs have the same casting time as regular Webs.

[DarthMyrten]

Originally posted by revan1229:

Originally posted by DarthMyrten:

There are better mythic feats, also spells with metamagic have longer casting time so they are not really that usefull unless used for starting combat and things like selective sirocco.

Is this documented somewhere? My Selective Webs have the same casting time as regular Webs.

Are you a Wizard?, to be precise it's the same for prepared spellcasters like wizards, but increased for spontaneous like sorcerer.

[[214] Davis]

Don't ignore picking the terrain for your fight too. Use your melee fighters to hold a doorway. Have your party prepositioned at one and use a single party member trigger the encounter then fall back to your team. The enemies will just log jam on the doorway so that even when one dies, another takes it's place, preventing your melee fighters from advancing. Then you can throw out your AoE spells into the room beyond with impunity using a location focus instead of a entity focus (CTRL by default) so long as the border doesn't cross onto your side of the door.

[Procrastinating Gamer]

Originally posted by DarthMyrten:

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

Selective Spell and i think its called Favored Metamagic Mythic feature, which lowers the level increase by 1 and since selective is already 1 you can then create selective spells all you want.

There are better mythic feats, also spells with metamagic have longer casting time so they are not really that usefull unless used for starting combat and things like selective sirocco.

They only have a longer casting time if you're a spontaneous caster like a Sorcerer or Oracle. It's a counterbalance to how they can apply the metamagic on-the-fly when a prepared caster has to apply it when preparing their spells.

[revan1229]

Originally posted by DarthMyrten:

Originally posted by revan1229:

Is this documented somewhere? My Selective Webs have the same casting time as regular Webs.

Are you a Wizard?, to be precise it's the same for prepared spellcasters like wizards, but increased for spontaneous like sorcerer.

Oh-yep. I'm a Wizard/AT. Glad this isn't the case for us. Selective Web carried my party through the first 2 acts.

[kiloromeo]

TL.DR

Play TurnBased. That is how the rules for Pathfinder is designed.

[revan1229]

Originally posted by kiloromeo:

TL.DR

Play TurnBased. That is how the rules for Pathfinder is designed.

That actually doesn't solve TC's issues (primarily, the size of AOEs indoors).

[kiloromeo]

Originally posted by revan1229:

Originally posted by kiloromeo:

TL.DR

Play TurnBased. That is how the rules for Pathfinder is designed.

That actually doesn't solve TC's issues (primarily, the size of AOEs indoors).

Well, that is choise of spells